Underneath the Mistletoe
by Megamind
Summary: Roxanne Ritchi decides to teach her frequent kidnapper the tradition of Mistletoe and discovers there's more to him than meets the eye.


**A/N: Just a little holiday fluff to warm the heart! Enjoy! ^_^**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Megamind.**

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 **Underneath the Mistletoe**

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It was a beautiful day considering it was the end of December. The sun was shining high over the skyscrapers of Metro City, chasing away for the moment the clouds that would soon bring winter storms to the great city. A few flurries had hit already, coating everything in a light dusting of powdery snow, but so far that had been the worst of it. The air was crisp and cool but not freezing, only an occasional light breeze blowing through the city streets to act as a reminder that it was, in fact, winter. It was a perfect day.

Perfect for a kidnapping.

Megamind snickered to himself, biting his lower lip excitedly to keep from breaking into an evil laugh as he soared through the air above Metro City thanks to the new jetpack he'd just finished building that morning and had strapped to his back. He'd had to leave his cape back at the Evil Lair to use it for safety purposes, something he never liked to do, but it had been worth it. He had designed this jetpack to be fast and easily maneuverable for quick getaways and had needed to test it. This seemed to be the perfect opportunity and it was working like a charm. Megamind tilted to one side and thrilled at the quick change in direction such a simple movement afforded him; this would make escaping from Metro Man _much_ easier should his plans ever fail. Not that he believed they would, but it never could hurt to have a plan B. He was willing to bet this jetpack could even give the white-clad hero a run for his money. He filed that idea away in his oversized brain for future consideration. Today, however, he had something _much_ bigger in mind for his rival… And he needed a hostage to use as bait.

Grinning in barely controlled excitement, Megamind aimed right for Roxanne Ritchi's apartment building and kicked his speed up a notch.

The blue supervillain didn't usually do the kidnappings himself, leaving that business to his fishy friend, Minion, instead. Today was different. Minion had been busy attending to a few last minute details they needed to put in place for his evil plan to go off without a hitch and eager to test his new jetpack, Megamind had insisted he could kidnap Roxanne Ritchi himself for a change, alone. His heart was racing in his chest as he drew nearer the beautiful reporter's building, his excitement threatening to overwhelm him. This was going to be fun!

When he spotted the apartment building looming in the distance his heart started beating faster. It wouldn't be long now, then he would have his favorite kidnappee right within his grasp. The anticipation was killing him. Kidnapping Roxanne Ritchi was nowhere near as grandiose a performance as his attacks on Metro Man were, but it certainly had its own appeal, a certain exhilarating quality that had his whole body tingling with excitement. Why didn't he do this part himself more often? He would have to consider relieving Minion of this duty again sometime.

Megamind slowed his approach as he neared the building, grateful that for once he'd designed something that _didn't_ make a lot of noise while in use. As much as he loved making a grand entrance in battle, a kidnapping called for more stealth. Designed to run silently to hopefully evade Metro Man's blasted super hearing in a getaway so he couldn't simply follow him by sound alone, his jetpack barely even made a whisper as he touched down on Roxanne Ritchi's balcony and cut the power. Grinning as he hurriedly pressed himself up against the brick wall near her sliding glass door, he slowly stole a peek through the glass to see if he'd been spotted. KMCP News's star reporter was inside, busily arranging shiny baubles on a spruce tree. He tried not to laugh when he realized she had _no_ idea he was there. This was going _perfectly_!

Roxanne Ritchi hummed softly along with the Christmas music that filled her loft apartment as she hung a gleaming silver bulb on her tree. This was her _favorite_ time of year by far. It never seemed to matter how busy people were or how hectic life could be; everyone always seemed to be able to slow down and simply enjoy each other's company and the warmth of the season at Christmas time. She loved _everything_ about Christmas, from the lights and decorations to the songs and the smells, the joyous sounds of excited children as they eagerly awaited a visit from Santa Clause while sipping on steaming cups of hot chocolate or sucked on candy canes. She even loved the colors and "ugly" Christmas sweaters, friends and family alike all getting into the spirit of the holiday as they donned outfits of red and green and bundled up in cozy sweaters by the fire. This was a season for giving and generosity, of forgiveness and kindness, for mending broken fences and healing relationships. It was the time of year when people were at their _best_ – and she _loved_ every minute of it.

Roxanne smiled to herself as she picked up another ornament to hang and looked for a proper place to put it on her tree. She had spent her day covering heartwarming stories for KMCP News, spreading a little Christmas joy to the citizens of Metro City as she did her part to remind them that there was good in _everyone_ and that love and compassion could be found in even the most unexpected of places. These were her favorite stories to share with the world, the ones that could make your heart melt or even move you to tears with hope. It always warmed her heart to do pieces like the ones she'd done today, reporting on the positive instead of merely focusing on negative events. That was what Christmas was all about, and she was glad to do her part in sharing its joyful message.

Now the beautiful reporter was home for the evening at last and spending it in one of the most enjoyable ways she knew how: decorating her apartment for Christmas. She was hosting a holiday party for her co-workers on Christmas Eve in just a few short days and wanted her apartment to be appropriately festive for the occasion, although truth be told, party or none she would have been doing it anyway. She found the soft colors of Christmas lights soothing, the shiny baubles on her tree a comfort she didn't want to be without. A part of her wished she had someone special to share in the decorating with her, but she was perfectly happy to do it alone. She found joy enough in the simple satisfaction of seeing her apartment transforming into a holiday wonderland – and the transformation was coming along wonderfully. Just a few more finishing touches and she would be done!

Roxanne picked up one of her favorite ornaments – a snowflake made up of mirrors she'd had since she was ten – and moved to place it on her tree, but paused when something caught her eye in the snowflake's reflection. Focusing closely on its mirrored surface, the reporter had to stifle an amused chuckle as she spotted a very familiar blue alien trying to quietly slide open her glass door to sneak into her apartment. She had been wondering when Megamind would show up; it had been a few weeks since his last failed attempt to take over the city. Now here he was, grinning in that cocky, confident way of his, standing on her balcony with her door half open, convinced she had no idea he was there. She had to admit, she was a little impressed he'd managed to stay quiet so far; usually the big-headed blue supervillain was all about loud and flashy entrances, but then again he didn't usually do the kidnappings himself, preferring to send his fishy cohort to do them for him. "I know you're there, Megamind," the brunette reporter announced in obvious amusement. She didn't bother to turn around; she could see his reaction in the mirror of her ornament as she hung it on a branch of her tree. Megamind froze, the most hilarious expression of shock on his face as he stared at her back in dismay. He simply couldn't believe she had caught him. Roxanne giggled as she reached for another ornament and added, "I was wondering when you were going to show up."

Megamind frowned at the reporter's back. How had she known he was there? No matter; he had work to do. Shaking his overly large head to quickly recover himself, he adopted his most wicked grin, pushed her balcony door the rest of the way open, and strode into her apartment as though he owned the place. "Well, today's the day, Miss Ritchi!" he crowed, moving to stand before her where she could clearly see him. He smirked at her as he spotted her glance at him from the corner of her eye even as she continued to decorate as though he weren't there. "Today I will defeat Metro Man and Metrocity will be _mine_!"

Roxanne snickered, smirking right back at him as her eyes met his for just a moment, "You mean you'll get your butt kicked."

Megamind broke out into a delightfully evil laugh as he tried to stand his tallest. "Oh, no! It is _I_ who will do the butt kicking!" he insisted confidently, penting his fingertips together as he bounced excitedly on his toes. "And you, Miss Ritchi, will have a front row seat as I run your _boyfriend_ out of Metrocity for good!"

"Oh, I'll have a front row seat all right, but _you're_ the one who will be running," Roxanne countered, placing another bulb on her tree and raising an eyebrow at him. "Give it up, Megamind. You can't win."

"Oh, we'll just see about that!" Megamind cackled, brushing his fingertips against the fabric of his suit over his chest before raising his eyebrow right back at her. "You should be frightened, Miss Ritchi! I intend to do horrible things to your precious _hero_ tonight!"

Roxanne chuckled and shook her head at him, changing the subject on him to try to throw him off balance. "Where is Minion? He usually does this part. Why are you here?"

"Oh, Minion is merely attending to the details of my evil plan!" Megamind grinned, never missing a beat. He leaned in closer to her, his hands folded behind his back as he regarded her from beneath half-lidded eyes, practically purring, "Don't you want to know what horrors await you? What terrifying evils I have waiting to be unleashed upon this city?"

Roxanne folded her arms across her chest and simply watched the blue alien in amusement as he did his best to intimidate her, talking about lasers and saws and all kinds of supposedly terrifying devices he intended to use against her or Metro Man as soon as he got her back to his hideout and unleashed his master plan. She _should_ have been irritated at his intrusion, but somehow, for some reason, tonight she found she simply couldn't be. She seemed to be finding his typical boasts entertaining. She hadn't been afraid of Megamind in _years_ , but tonight he seemed even less threatening than usual. Maybe it was the fact his cape was missing or that he wasn't surrounded by his army of brainbots, but she suspected it had more to do with the fact that he was _alone_. He seemed somehow… _vulnerable_ standing there before her in only his spandex suit, leather boots, and spiked leather gloves, his villainous bravado more a show than true threat. And that's when it dawned on her.

Megamind was standing beneath the mistletoe.

She knew he had seen it; the big-headed blue villain's vibrant green eyes had been scanning over her apartment since he'd set foot inside it, but he seemed completely oblivious to its meaning. Either that or he was ignoring it, but she had a sneaking suspicion that simply wasn't it. She wasn't even listening to his blustering any more as she was surprised to find the corners of her lips tugging upwards in a curious smirk. Megamind, her very own frequent kidnapper, was standing beneath the mistletoe, alone with her in her apartment – and he had NO idea what tradition dictated should happen next.

Roxanne's heart skipped a beat as she found herself suddenly tempted to teach him the tradition.

The lovely reporter let her eyes slip over the big-headed alien's features for a moment in curious appraisal. She had never really let herself stop to consider how handsome he really was before. With big, green eyes set against blue skin and a sharp chin accented by a very carefully trimmed black goatee, Megamind certainly had a rather striking profile. Incredibly thin and obviously brilliant, she had to admit if he wasn't a villain, he would actually be her type. She tried not to giggle as that fact dawned on her.

She suddenly found it very hard to resist sharing a little Christmas joy with Megamind. After all, what would it hurt?

Megamind was nearing the end of his rant, an all-too-familiar can of knock out spray in his hand as he readied himself to use it on her, and Roxanne could feel her smirk grow as she made up her mind. "So what do you think of _that_?" Megamind asked through a devilish smirk of his own, shaking the can excitedly.

Roxanne hadn't been listening. She had _no_ idea what he was asking her to respond to, what kind of threat he'd just made, any of it. But that didn't matter. "I think you're standing under _mistletoe_ ," she pointed out calmly.

Megamind blinked at her in obvious confusion, completely unprepared for the sudden change in topic. "Huh?" Why was the beautiful reporter talking about a _plant_? He looked above himself to the leafy sprig of greenery tied to a beam above his head by a red ribbon. "What, _that_?" His eyes met hers again as he eyed her curiously, starting to ask, "The _plant_? I don't underst…" He was cut off when he suddenly found Roxanne's lips pressed to his…

Megamind's heart stopped beating for a moment as he felt his breath being stolen away. The can of knock out spray he'd been preparing to use clattered to the floor, forgotten. Roxanne leaned into him, bringing a hand to rest tenderly on his cheek, her fingers brushing against the skin beneath his earlobe and he felt his pulse quicken as his eyes fluttered shut. She was kissing him! He could feel his face flushing, his ears burning. He couldn't breathe, couldn't move… And didn't want to for fear of finding it a dream.

Roxanne couldn't keep the smile from her lips when she felt Megamind lean into her kiss at last, giving himself over to it. She was almost sad to break the connection, a part of her wondering where this could lead if she kissed him for longer than just a moment… He was obviously reluctant for it to end, his lips trying to follow hers when she finally pulled back, his vibrant green eyes fluttering open to gaze deep into hers in breathless wonder. He was staring at her now in awe, his face and ears blushing a vibrant shade of purple, almost fuchsia, struck silent by a simple kiss, and then he did something she hadn't expected.

He spoke her name.

"Roxanne…"

He had never spoken her name before, not once in all the time she'd known him. Megamind had always addressed her formally as Miss Ritchi, never daring to presume he could be on familiar terms with her regardless of how many years they had known each other as kidnapper and kidnappee. He had always maintained a professional distance from her with the exception of his occasionally flirtatious teases, but she had always assumed that was merely part of his evil persona, part of the game he seemed determined to play. He had always been careful to never use her first name, but now in a moment of breathless awe he had let it slip from his lips with all the reverence of a man suddenly in the presence of a being greater than him. He was barely breathing, his big green eyes seeming even larger than usual as he studied hers, speaking volumes for him without the need for words to express the emotions she could see raging behind his eyes, telling her everything she suddenly realized she _should_ have known all along.

Megamind was in _love_ with her.

Roxanne couldn't help but smile a little more warmly at him as she wondered how she had never seen it before. All these years he had only ever kidnapped _her_ , never anyone else, always trying to impress her in the only ways he knew how. He was convinced he couldn't have her, convinced she belonged to his rival, but it had never stopped him from savoring those moments he could tease her with his nearness or thrilling at her company – even if it had been, before now, unwilling. Now he was standing before her in obvious awe of the fact she had kissed _him_ , his eyes betraying the secrets she was willing to bet he'd never even told Minion, and she couldn't help but be in awe herself at how much of a change such a simple gesture of affection had made in him. She had stripped him bare of all his villainous bravado, stripped him clean of all his bluster. She had disarmed him, torn away his armor, and was now staring into his very heart… And the man she saw there was a man aching for nothing more than to be loved.

Maybe all Megamind had ever needed was a little kindness.

Roxanne had always believed in Christmas miracles and she couldn't help but feel she was bearing witness to one right now, right there in her own apartment. This thin blue alien that always called himself a supervillain seemed to have no inclination whatsoever any more to kidnap her, let alone attack anyone or anything. He seemed more on the verge of falling at her feet than he was to striking out against Metro Man. His knock out spray remained where it had fallen and he made no move to pick it up, caring very little about it – or anything else for that matter – any longer. His eyes were on hers and there they remained, waiting for her to make the next move, waiting for her to tell him what to do. Roxanne suddenly had the distinct impression he would write her name on the moon if she asked him to in that moment, but as her heart warmed at the sight of a gentler side to him she'd never known he had, she knew what she wanted from him. Gesturing to the mistletoe above his head, she smiled warmly at him and explained softly, "There is a Christmas tradition that if a man and woman meet beneath the mistletoe, they must kiss."

"I… I like this tradition…" Megamind breathed in obvious awe, his eyes shy, and Roxanne felt her smile grow even warmer.

"I have an idea…" Roxanne proposed, reaching out to the buckles strapping Megamind's newest contraption to his back. His ears went even more purple as she moved to unfasten them, her fingers brushing over his chest in the process, but he made no move to stop her as she suggested, "Why don't we forget about the kidnapping today?" She unfastened one shoulder strap as she watched him swallow hard, his eyes watching her every move. "Put all this aside…" Unfastening the second, the mechanical pack fell free into her arms and she set it aside. Moving slowly, pointedly, making sure he saw her do it, she reached out and removed his dehydration gun from the holster he had strapped to his thigh and set it aside with the rest of his things, finishing with a satisfied smile, "Forget about all this villain business… And decorate this place together. What do you say?"

Megamind's heart was thundering in his chest. He had just allowed himself to be completely disarmed by the reporter he was _supposed_ to be kidnapping, but he didn't care. He licked his blue lips to wet them, his mouth dry. She had kissed him! _Roxanne Ritchi_ had kissed _him_! It was a fantasy he had entertained deep within the secret corners of his overly-large mind for _years_ but had never dreamed possible. Christmas tradition or not, he felt as though he were in a dream, floating somewhere between reality and his deepest, most precious desires… And now the beautiful reporter he had secretly been in love with for so very long was actually asking him to help her decorate? He could only give one answer. "O-OK…" he managed to stammer out, his voice as breathless as he felt. He could feel his ears burning, knew he was blushing, but he couldn't help it. And suddenly there was just one thing he wanted to do before they got started.

Tugging on the fingertips of his spiked leather gloves, he loosened his gloves from his hands and pointedly pulled them off.

Roxanne watched in silent awe as Megamind set aside his gloves, the symbolism of the action hardly lost on her. He had just removed the only remaining piece of armor left on him, the final barrier between the villain he was _supposed_ to be and the man he truly was beneath. He had essentially just stripped himself bare to her, standing entirely vulnerable before her now with nothing left to hide himself from her eyes. He hugged himself for a moment, his blue hands standing out against the black of his suit as his eyes grew shy, looking for all intensive purposes like a lost puppy unsure what to do or what was expected of him. Smiling as she reached out to peel his hand from his own shoulder and take it in hers, the look of wonderment in his eyes at her touch warming her heart, she assured him softly, "Come on. I'll show you what to do." He smiled softly then and her heart skipped a beat as she led him over to the box of ornaments she had set out to put up on her tree.

Roxanne spent the next few hours with Megamind, first hanging ornaments on her tree, then garland around her apartment. She had been surprised to discover that the big-brained alien had never celebrated Christmas before and didn't even really know what it was. He was wholly unfamiliar with any of the things she loved so much about the season, but ate up her explanations and stories as though they were candy. Once he had relaxed enough to overcome his breathless awe at even being _near_ her like this, he had shown the lovely reporter a side of him she'd never expected to see, a playful side that was easily enchanted with all the innocence of a child. Roxanne had been amused to find that Christmas lights made him giddy, their soft, colorful glow entrancing him until his smile nearly swallowed his face. Ornaments were delicate objects he turned over in his long, spidery fingers like treasures from a forbidden trove he'd never before seen, each one a new gem to be admired before hanging on the tree. Curious to see what he would think of candy canes, she had laughed out loud at the look of utter delight on his face when he took his first lick of one before trying to shove the whole thing in his mouth. Decorating for Christmas with Megamind had turned out to be one of the most undeniably _pleasant_ experiences of her life.

By the time all the decorations were hung and the egg nog she'd brought out to share with him finished, Roxanne could no longer deny her own heart – she was falling for him too.

Glad she had been bold enough to steal that simple kiss from him, Roxanne found herself actually sad when it finally came time to let him go. She didn't want him to leave, a realization that both surprised and delighted her as she noticed he was reluctant to end their time together himself. The blue supervillain stood beside his things and merely stared at them, frowning, then suddenly admitted, "I don't want to go." She blinked as he looked straight at her, his voice as sincere as she'd ever heard it, "I… I really enjoyed this, Miss Ritchi… Thank you."

"Call me Roxanne," the reporter insisted, smiling at him as her heart did somersaults in her chest.

Megamind melted before her eyes, looked away for a moment, then grinned playfully as he darted back under the mistletoe and started bouncing eagerly on his toes. Roxanne burst out laughing as he shot her his most seductive grin and wiggled his eyebrows at her. "Come on, Roxanne! You mustn't keep me waiting! The _mistleetoe_ tradition _must_ be upheld!"

Roxanne could barely control her laughter as he waited for her expectantly, totally taking advantage of his newfound knowledge of a tradition he _definitely_ liked. "Megamind, if I let you get away with this now, you'll be standing there all night," she teased him knowingly. He just wiggled his eyebrows at her again, his smirk growing wider as he gestured her over with a flick of a long blue finger. Roxanne laughed and shook her head, but there was simply no denying him now. "Fine, but only the one more!" she finally caved, moving over to his side.

"That's all I want," Megamind assured her, his eyes slipping down to her lips as he slowly, tentatively brought his lips to hers in a tender, heartfelt kiss that left Roxanne feeling weak in the knees. He was sweeter than she'd ever thought possible.

When the blue villain finally pulled back from her lips, there was an expression of pure delight on his face as he sighed happily to himself. Roxanne was finding it even harder to let him go now, but she knew she had no choice; if she kept him too much longer Minion and his brainbots would come looking for him if they weren't already on their way. She knew that Minion, at least, would be sick with worry by now. "You'd better go…" she reluctantly whispered, pulling herself back from the gentle grip of his hands on her shoulders. "Minion will be worried…"

Megamind sighed heavily but nodded, moving to pull his gloves back on after replacing his dehydration gun in its holster. "Yes… He will be nearly panicking by now. Still…" He shrugged and sighed again, visibly struggling with himself as he moved to strap his jetpack onto his back.

"Hey," Roxanne nudged his arm playfully to get his attention. He looked at her and smiled as he tightened the buckles on his shoulder straps. "I want to see you again, Megamind. But without all of…" she gestured meaningfully to his villainous attire, " _This_. Do you think you can make that happen?"

Megamind's eyes softened as his smile warmed and he insisted, "Roxanne… If you wanted I would bring you the moon."

Megamind turned to leave, but Roxanne reached out and caught him by his arm. "Wait!" He blinked and turned to watch as the beautiful reporter hurried over to her tree and removed an ornament from it. She smiled as she returned to his side, pressing the bauble – a simple crystal snowflake – into his now gloved hand as she wished him warmly, "Merry Christmas, Megamind."

Megamind's fingers closed gently around the ornament as he held it close to his heart, closing his eyes for a moment in an effort to keep his emotions from overwhelming him. So much had happened to him in one night that he was reeling from it all, hardly able to believe any of it had even happened. "Thank you, Roxanne," he whispered to her softly when he could open his eyes again. "Merry _Kurismas_." She smiled at him softly and he turned and bolted through her balcony door, blasting off to leave her behind while he still had the courage to tear himself away. Every bone in his body wanted to stay, but he knew he simply couldn't. Not yet…

Roxanne watched her frequent kidnapper disappear into the distance, her heart warmer than it had felt in years. She could not have asked for anyone more special to help her decorate than Megamind. It was a Christmas wish come true – and from the most unlikely of places. She wouldn't have had it any other way.

* * *

"Sir! Sir! Where have you been?!" Minion's panicked voice carried clear across the Evil Lair as Megamind returned alone. The fish's robotic gorilla suit thudded against the floor as he ran up to his boss to check him for injuries even as he continued his scolding. "I've been worried _sick_ here! I was just about to go looking for you! What happened? Where's Miss Ritchi? Did Metro Man find you? You've been gone for _hours_!"

Megamind simply kept walking past the fish, his pace never slowing as he headed directly for his bedroom. He could barely control the grin trying to swallow his face at the memories he'd made with the beautiful reporter. "Cancel the attack, Minion," he commanded simply, giving no explanation whatsoever for his absence. Minion stopped dead in his tracks to stare at him in shock, but he never stopped walking. Glancing down at the precious gift Roxanne had given him, he added wistfully, "Call it my _Kurismas_ gift to Metrocity."

"Wait, what?! Where did you learn that word?!" Minion shouted behind him, but Megamind never responded, simply slipping into his bedroom and closing the door behind him.

* * *

Roxanne Ritchi woke the following morning and stumbled reluctantly out of bed. She had spent the night lost in dreams of the big-headed blue alien who puffed himself up as a villain but had turned out to be nothing less than sweet underneath. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she let out a great yawn, she meandered towards her kitchen to brew some coffee and start her day.

Halfway to her kitchen, a light from her great room caught her eye and made her blink.

Wide awake now, the reporter made her way to her great room and blinked as she noticed her Christmas tree was lit. She didn't remember leaving it on overnight. Approaching it curiously, she gasped as she noticed something else and found herself blinking back tears.

Beneath her tree, folded up neatly, was Megamind's cape and spiked leather gloves, and hanging from her tree was a new ornament – a glowing blue lightning bolt.

The symbolism was not lost on Roxanne.


End file.
